Bucs all-pro tackle Tristan Wirfs leaves wild card game with ankle injury
TAMPA – Tampa Bay Buccaneers right tackle Tristan Wirfs limped off the field Sunday after being attended to by trainers during the opening drive of the NFC wild card playoff against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Wirfs suffered an ankle injury, the team announced. He returned in the second quarter but was hardly in all-pro form. He gave up a sack late in the quarter to Ryan Kerrigan after being steamrolled on a bull-rush.
There is no disputing his value to the Tom Brady-armed offense. On Friday, Wirfs, a second-year pro drafted in the first round in 2020, was named first-team all-pro for the first time.
Tampa Bay can hardly afford more injury losses to its offense. The Bucs entered the game without their top two running backs – Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones – while their receiving corps continues to try filling the void created last month with the season-ending torn ACL that sidelined Chris Godwin.
Wirfs is the anchor of a line that has been the most consistently healthy unit for a team ravaged by injuries amid its bid to repeat as Super Bowl champions.